AIM: The aim of this article is to report the psychometric properties of the eight-item cognitive load scale. BACKGROUND: According to cognitive load theory, the formatting and delivery of healthcare education influences the degree to which patients and/or family members can engage their working memory systems for learning. However, despite its relevance, cognitive load has not yet been evaluated among surrogate decision makers exposed to electronic decision support for healthcare decisions...

BACKGROUND: Menopause has been considered as an aggravating factor for developing cardiovascular diseases and the metabolic syndromes for women. Exercise might be an effective intervention for reducing such threats. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the exercise effects on body composition, cardiovascular risk factors, and bone mineral density of menopausal women. METHODS: Two reviewers did a complete search of five electronic database (Medline, PubMed, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, CINAHL, and the Chinese Electronic Periodical Service) records up to January 31, 2014...

BACKGROUND: Nurse bedside handover quality is influenced by complex interactions related to the content, processes used and the work environment. Audit tools are seldom tested in 'real' settings. OBJECTIVE: Examine the reliability, validity and usability of a quality improvement tool for audit of nurse bedside handover. DESIGN: Naturalistic, descriptive, mixed-methods. SETTING: Six inpatient wards at a single large not-for-profit private health service in Victoria, Australia...

AIM: To evaluate the effect of daily PIV-based phlebotomy using the PIVO device on PIVC dwell times and replacement rates, as well as the reliability of blood sample collection, and patient response to this method of blood collection. BACKGROUND: Blood draws which are also known as phlebotomy for laboratory analyses are one of the most common experiences for hospitalized patients. When performed by venipuncture, they are often associated with pain and anxiety for patients...

Surgical Weight Loss as A Life-changing Transition: The Impact of Interpersonal Relationships on Post-Bariatric Women BACKGROUND: Although women account for 80% of patients having bariatric surgery (BS), the complex psychosocial mechanisms that accompany this transformation process have not been well established. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to explore the lived experience of women transitioning in their interpersonal relationships post BS. METHODS: A semi-structured interview with four questions was used...

AIMS: To explore and understand, from a gender-based perspective, the quality-of-life experiences of men and women who suffer from urinary incontinence. BACKGROUND: Urinary incontinence (UI) is a major health problem with significant social, psychological, occupational, sexual and economic effects leading to a substantial decrease in quality of life. Although this condition is increasingly frequent in men, research has tended to focus on women, adopting a quantitative approach...

BACKGROUND: Medical advances and increasingly complex patients presenting to the Emergency Department (ED) make nursing challenging. Gaining new knowledge and skills is a perpetual requirement. New quality initiatives to improve patient safety and care are being constantly introduced and create significant work and time pressures for healthcare providers involved. STUDY QUESTION: Do ED nurses support the introduction of new quality standards, in addition to their current heavy workload? STUDY DESIGN: A cross-sectional survey...

PURPOSE: To develop a theory-guided culturally grounded narrative intervention to promote HPV vaccination behavior and examine the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary effectiveness of the intervention among dyads of Cambodian American mothers and daughters. METHOD: The principles of community-based participatory research guided the development and evaluation and involved two phases: Phase 1: Development of storytelling narrative intervention videos which focused on a series of HPV vaccination-related messages and which integrated the narrative theory with the revised network episode model (rNEM); Phase 2: conducting the pilot RCT with 19 dyads of Khmer mothers and daughters aged from 14 to 17years to examine the feasibility and acceptability of the study...

AIM: This study sought to identify clinical, demographic and service-related factors associated with psychological distress amongst outpatient chemotherapy patients. BACKGROUND: Distress in cancer patients leads to increased risk of psychological comorbidity, contributing to sub-optimal treatment adherence and potentially leading to poorer health outcomes. Screening and recognition of distress and risk factors is an important aspect of holistic care within a multidisciplinary team environment...

AIMS: In order to pursue a better patient safety culture and provide a superior medical service for patients, this study aims to respectively investigate the perceptions of patient safety from the viewpoints of physicians and nurses in Taiwan. BACKGROUND: Little knowledge has clearly identified the difference of perceptions between physicians and nurses in patient safety culture. Understanding physicians and nurses' attitudes toward patient safety is a critical issue for healthcare organizations to improve medical quality...

AIM: The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of preterm infant bathing periods on skin condition and axillary skin colonization. BACKGROUND: Reducing the frequency of bathing in preterm infants is beneficial in reducing the risk of hypothermia and exposure to stress from frequent nursing contacts. METHODS: The subjects of this study were observed at The V hospital at the C University in South Korea between December 2012 and August 2013...

BACKGROUND: Nurses in acute medical units are uniquely positioned to support goals of care communication. Further understanding of nurse and physician perceptions about hospital nurses' actual and possible roles was required to improve goals of care communication. OBJECTIVE: To critically examine nurse and physician perceptions of the nurse's role in communication with seriously ill patients and their families. DESIGN: We focus on the qualitative component of a mixed method study...

This evaluation of bedside shift report describes the process of involving clinical nurses in evidence-based practice (EBP) and research at an academic medical center by using existing structures and resources. Nurse involvement and study findings are described from idea inception to asking the clinical question, searching and synthesizing literature, collecting and analyzing data, interpreting results, and deriving conclusions. Study findings and conclusions demonstrate that nurses' active participation in a clinical relevant project promotes implementation and integration of EBP and research in the practice setting...

BACKGROUND: Clinical nursing practice may involve moral distress, which has been reported to occur frequently when nurses care for dying patients. Palliative sedation is a practice that is used to alleviate unbearable and refractory suffering in the last phase of life and has been linked to distress in nurses. AIM: The aim of this study was to explore nurses' reports on the practice of palliative sedation focusing on their experiences with pressure, dilemmas and morally distressing situations...

We assessed the structure and content of a new scale, the SHEPS, to assess change in sexual health confidence, knowledge and attitudes in nursing and midwifery students following an intervention (a 2-day standardized workshop on sexual health). Students were 78 Tanzanian nursing and midwifery students attending a University of Health Sciences, who were assessed immediately before and after the workshop on matched pre- and post-workshop questionnaires. Data confirmed significant changed pre- and post-test on knowledge and confidence on topics taught in the workshop, with the effect also extending to some topics not or minimally covered, suggesting that there was a general increase in confidence and a perception of increased knowledge following the workshop...

AIM: This study evaluated the process and outcome of a psychosocial intervention for men with prostate cancer and their partners. As more men survive prostate cancer, they and their partners need help and support to help them cope with the physical and psychosocial effects of the disease and treatment. There is a lack of psychosocial interventions for men with prostate cancer and their partners. METHODS: A randomized controlled trial was conducted with 34 participants to measure the effects of the intervention on selected psychosocial outcomes, post-intervention and at one month' follow-up...

BACKGROUND: For first-time fathers, the perinatal period is a critical period of stress and imbalance. Marital intimacy and social support may affect their stress and health status while they change their roles. AIM: This study was to explore the changes of and correlations among marital intimacy, social support, and health status and predictors of first-time fathers' health status during the perinatal period. METHODS: With a repeated measures study design, a total of 217 first-time fathers whose spouses were in the third trimester of pregnancy were recruited for the study...

AIM: The purpose of this study was to identify physical activity interventions delivered by public health nurses (PHNs) and examine their association with physical activity behavior change among adult clients. BACKGROUND: Physical activity is a public health priority, yet little is known about nurse-delivered physical activity interventions in day-to-day practice or their outcomes. METHODS: This quantitative retrospective evaluation examined de-identified electronic-health-record data...